St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-27
On the Other Side.

ReV. w. w. SalteTlee, Inc 'OlQ man el0-
quent" OF the prohibition cause, is known
on all sides as one of the heaviest caliber
gems in the armament of the cold water
people. He has preached prohibition in
and out OF season for the past twenty-five
years. Three years ago he figured con-
Spicuously in the local campaign and last
spring he was prominent in the tight
against Republicans temporiZing with prin-
ciples in the establishment of the now
/ odiouS patrol line. No compromise" was
his motto, then and now. and his earnest
ness was evident in the scathing review of
Gen. Nettletons untimely rebuke to the
National Women's Christian Temperance
union last October. Mr.. Sattegiee has
| issued All open letter to the Legislature of
Minnesota firing a dOuble-shotted gun at
high license. 1t is appended:
WANTS PROHIBITORY AMENDMENT.
| Gentlemen: You will not consider me pre-
| sumptious if | address you on the matter of
| temperance legislation, having given more
| than twenty-five years TO its earnest consid-
| GRAFTON. We are busy men. ! will waste no
| words. Hygienic tuition concerning alcohol
| commends itself TO your best Judgment. 1t
! does not stop there, for the home, the social
! compact, the church and the state are in
! VOWED. The disease of the body is the least
OF the evils Make the act broad. Include
the economic, social and moral relations of
this drug. The cry has been. "teach the
children;' amen. but teach the whole truth.
| Arm the youth of Minnesota against alcohol
! and its dispenser, the saloon. That constitu-
! tional prohibition amendment Will you
| bring tardy justice to a decision? Why not?
| We have petitioned with ten thousands again
| and again for many years. Your predecessors
have said no, but have submitted
many others of less Importance on their
| own motion. Majorties should rule
! We ia tac do dc
it. The LIQUOR traffic costs US SIS per head
! for every inhabitant in con sumption alone.
Ten dollars more for courts, jails, peniten-
! tiaries. asyums poor houses, etc. Twenty
| five dollars per head. Rather heavy tax
! for sin and shame We add seven-tenths of
! our crime, four-ffths of our divorces, three
| fourths of our poverty, nine-tenths of our po-
! iitical corruption and ten-tenths of our
! debauchery, and how you refuse
a people so burdened the privilege
! Of making effort to free them
selves. The constitution provides the legal
| form of amendment to come through you,
and refusing to do this you stand between
! the home aud the saloon FOR the defense of
the latter. Can you afford to do this? BY
| your love of home, of the state and of God do
not fail TO pass this act. But this is not the
| full measure Of your obligation. In the case
Of other wrongs no more apparent you as
sumo to act at once for the common defense
| WIZ not in this? You could by statute pro-
the responsibility for results must
rest with you. Can you not rise
above all prejudices and strike the
| legalzed chain of the saloon power from the
people? Prohibitory legislation has been on
| trial for many years, and has firmly estab-
tablished itself both by logic and fact as the
! best method of dealing with the liquor traffic
/ Prohibitory laws, unmixed with partial con-
! sent to the crime, are the only laws iuforced
on this question. Legal consent. the back
| bone OF the saloon power, will be urged upon
| you by both saints and sinners. But con-
| slider. gentlemen, their plan has been on trial
| for 500 years in all forms and at all prices
and is a stupendous farce; an absolute fail
| ure. Under this legal consent ali the evils
complained of have arisen. License or legal
| consent is permission granted to perform q
| social act, which otherwise in its own nature
| would be outawed. The natural right cam
not inhere in the individual to follow a bust
i ness which is destructive to society. Self
| protection is the first law of nature of man
or men. The Internal doctrine that the man.
| ufacture and sale of poisonous beverages
causing the destruction OF man, body and
! soulis as legitimate, where there is no statute
| to the contrary, as any other business, is
worthy only OF Il selfish partisan as blind as
| ''blind pig. But not to argue
self-protectiou is the first law of nature of
man or men. The internal doctrine that the
| manufacture and sale of poisonous beverages
! causing the destruction OF man. body and
soul, is as legitimate. when there is no stat
ute to the contrary, as any other business, is
worthy only of a selfish partisan as blind as u
''blind pig" But not to argue original right,
| the statute removes it, if it ever existed, by
saying 1.-THE person SHALL etc., without first
having procured legal consent and paid the
! consideration. The state thus assumes the
right. and that right contains all the saloon
curse. Can you afford by personal acts to
share the responsibility? But, gentlemen,
| you are asked to modify this legal consent by
I charging higher price for Its privileges
This plan has the support of some D. D. s
| doubtful dodgers), relicts of an old tribe
4 Some OF them undertook to pass between the
| Shareholder and the abolitiouists in years
agone, but when they got through it took
| bakers dozen of them to cast a shadow
| They protested hatred TO slavery, but
supported it, and there is not heresy
in American politics.. q nor a social
wrong from witch burning to polygamy but
| has had the support of men claiming to be
the ministers of Jesus Christ. Nearly all
| ministers are good men, and their weaknesses
on questions of public policy are found above